In most Private Branch Exchange (PBX), station group systems, such as a group of operators handling airline reservations, or a group of operators responding to questions concerning Medicare benefits, PBX switching circuitry automatically distributes incoming telephone calls to idle operators as the incoming calls are received. However during busy conditions when the incoming calls are received faster than the operators are able to handle the calls, additional circuitry within the PBX places the calls which cannot be immediately handled by an operator in a sequence, or queue, so that the first call received and put in the queue will be the first call handled when one of the busy operators becomes idle. As each first call in the queue is given over to an idle operator, each succeeding call in the queue is automatically moved up one step in the queue to where eventually each call in the queue is serviced by an operator. Although the calls are moved as expeditiously as possible in the queue, some incoming calls may have to wait for several minutes before reaching an operator, especially during extremely busy periods such as during holidays or certain benefit days in the month.
So that callers who have placed calls to a busy operator group and have been automatically switched to a queue awaiting an idle operator do not become anxious and hang-up, various arrangements have been devised to attempt to maintain the waiting caller's attention. For instance, the waiting caller typically hears a recorded announcement and then silence or a recorded announcement which is repeated at closely timed intervals, or a recorded announcement followed by music until the call is eventually answered by an idle operator. Although the above arrangements do provide some information and solace to callers, the arrangements are limited in the amount of useful information which can be provided to callers and, in some instances, can even add to the anxiety experienced by a waiting caller. For instance, in extremely busy situations, where the queue in which callers are placed is slow-moving or long, a single intital recorded message followed by prolonged music or silence stimulates anxious callers to hang-up and call back immediately, thus placing these callers further back on the queue each time they hang-up and call back. Eventually the caller stops trying to place the call since the answering routine has left the caller frustrated and with an impression of poor service.
There is a need therefore, for an enhanced announcement arrangement which will provide a caller with useful information regarding the handling of the call while also maintaining the caller's attention.